Smoking Withdrawal Help
Smoking withdrawal is tough but help is available!
When you decide to quit smoking, the nicotine withdrawal is likely to be your most challenging upset to overcome. Quitting takes courage, it takes commitment and it may take professional help too! Smoking withdrawals are mostly short-term bumps in the quitting road but they can be difficult hurdles to overcome as tension and anxiety heighten, aggression and anger unfold and you do everything you can to remain calm, cool and collective.
Physical withdrawal from nicotine is a temporary problem that will take a strong commitment to cope with in an effective manner that does not include relapsing and falling back into the terrible habit of lighting up a cigarette or a pipe. For some, the nicotine withdrawal symptoms that are felt resemble what has now been termed as “quitter’s flu.” These symptoms include coughing, headaches, fatigue and runny nose. It’s important to stay confident when you’re trying to quit smoking and to remind yourself that the symptoms of withdrawal are not permanent and will soon go away if you remain abstinent from the use of cigarettes or other tobacco products.
Coping with Cravings
The cravings that result from smoking withdrawal are the most challenging part of trying to quit. Nicotine cravings result when the body wants nicotine and you are no longer supplying that by smoking. These cravings, though difficult to cope with at first, will soon become easier to deal with as time goes on and you and your body adjust to quitting. Some of the potential triggers that you should avoid when you are trying to quit smoking include:
- Being around other smokers
- Drinking alcoholic beverages
- Boredom
- Stress
- Using other substances or drugs
There are many ways that you can manage cravings that you do have. Instead of giving in to the temptation to smoke when you’re working so hard already to quit, remind yourself that the cravings that you are having are real, they are not a figment of your imagination and although they are real, they will go away on their own. You will likely continue to have cravings for a period of up to 6 months following your last cigarette or puff on a pipe so you should take caution and make an attempt at learning how to control cravings.
Some of the ways that you can manage the cravings that you may have to smoke a cigarette include:
- Consistently reminding yourself that the cravings will go away in time
- Taking part in a new hobby or activity that you enjoy to prevent boredom
- Staying away from others who smoke
- Chewing gum, using hard candy or lozenges or another type of food to curb the craving
- Controlled breathing to help you relax
- Using nicotine replacement treatments such as a patch, gum or other medications which may be provided by a doctor
Getting Help
If you’re trying to quit smoking and need help, your doctor should be the first point of contact for treatment. There are also many online support groups, smoking cessation classes within the community and other means of getting help when you want to quit smoking. Your decision to quit is a courageous decision and one that should not be taken lightly. Mere weeks after you decide to quit and you actually eliminate nicotine from your daily routine you will begin to feel much better.
There are many over-the-counter medications and treatment methods for nicotine replacement that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The most common include the nicotine patch and nicotine gum or lozenges. Recently, various medications have also been introduced into the market to help people quit smoking by curbing cravings and reducing smoking withdrawal symptoms. Talk with your doctor or a healthcare professional about the various treatment options that may be available to assist you in your effort to quit.
Most importantly, stay focused and do not get discouraged! Smoking withdrawal is not permanent, it will go away in time and you will feel better. The best thing that you can do for yourself if you’re trying to quit smoking is to refrain from giving in to temptation, remain abstinent from tobacco use and find treatment or support that helps you to control your cravings during the early weeks when withdrawal is most difficult to cope with.